As a small business owner, you know that every moment counts. When you’re not working for clients, you’re not earning money. It’s a trade-off to be in control of your time and creative work, but it means that one unexpected snag can send you into spiral that affects your overall productivity. It’s not even just the missed time on other projects that will come to a halt. There’s a psychology of productivity that thrives in routine and habit. The unexpected shakes that up, and this time it’s not for the better.
The Data of Interruptions
If you work alone, you may not consider the implications of interruptions. You don’t have traditional coworkers to pester you in a cube farm, so how can you be interrupted anyway? A major problem with a client website can have the same effect. These are the stats:
- The average time worked before interruption: 11 minutes
- The average time it takes to get back on track: 25 minutes
- Error rates: double after 2.8 second interruption, triple after 4.5 seconds
- Exhaustion rates: 9% higher after significant interruption
- Physical discomfort: 4% higher after interruptions
In corporate environments, the cost of interruptions is currently estimated as $588 billion! While your business may not be losing that much money, the impact of interruptions in your regular process is absolutely affecting your bottom line.
Setting Expectations
Once you understand how regular interruptions impact your service, what can you do about it? Step one is establishing your expectations and those of your clients. You know how long it takes for you to design and build a site. What if you added some time in for unforeseen circumstances? If nothing arises right way, you’ve surpassed expectations. But if something does, your end user may never know.
Redirecting Resources
You’re a designer. Your goal and talent lies in creating websites to reflect your client branding and showcase their business. It’s okay to admit that the back-office support is not your expertise. But have a plan in place to help your customers when these things happen along the way. Partnering with a tech company that specializes in troubleshooting can be the best investment you make in your small business.
Finding a Solution
Your clients don’t care how something is fixed as long as it doesn’t disrupt their ability to conduct business. If you don’t want these distractions to affect your productivity, don’t simply pass the buck on problems to your customers. Finding a solution before there’s a problem can go a long way to ensuring that everyone can experience a disruption free workday.
SiteTrustee can help. Our support packages can give you the tech boost you need to avoid unnecessary interruptions and keep your clients happy and engaged.